


Heart of the Ancient Kingdom

by EternallyEcho



Category: Super Mario & Related Fandoms, Super Mario Bros. (Video Games)
Genre: Ancient Kingdom, Anniversary, Blushing, Dramatic Rescue, Exploration, Extortion, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fortress, Gay, Jump - Freeform, Kissing, Lava - Freeform, Lore - Freeform, M/M, Mushroom Kingdom, Mushroomy Kingdom, Romance, SMB 35th Anniversary Special, Teasing, World 1-1, World 1-4, jumping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:27:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26445592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EternallyEcho/pseuds/EternallyEcho
Summary: To get a relic for the Mushroom Kingdom's anniversary, Mario will need to retread old grounds. Journeying with him will be none other than...Bowser?! Follow the hero and the villain as they explore the oldest part of the Mushroom Kingdom, learn about the land, reminisce the past, and even...bond. Perhaps.
Relationships: Koopa | Bowser/Mario
Comments: 14
Kudos: 81





	1. World 1-1: Return to the Ancient Land

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my small tribute to the Super Mario Bros. game of long ago! Which...well, it's not that long ago, is it? ...Oh boy...
> 
> Anyway, this is just a small story to celebrate the old game, and will also feature the Bowsario pairing (that's Bowser/Mario) for the bits of romance that I'll drop in.
> 
> It's not quite complete just yet, because I was stubborn and wanted to post on this day, so I'm breaking it up into two chapters rather than just a single long one. The second should hopefully be posted soon enough.
> 
> This first one sets the stage though. So, read ahead!

Crossing the castle grounds under the morning sun, Mario and Luigi ambled past Toads that scurried across the grassy fields and dirt trails. The brothers watched as the castle workers carried banners, ribbons, and balloons back and forth, searching for the decorations’ destinations. Luigi rubbed behind his neck as he watched a Toad fumble around with a ribbon that seemed twice his size, but still the little fellow steadied himself and managed. Mario kept pace toward Princess Peach’s Castle.

“Should we try to help out with those decorations?” Luigi tapped Mario’s shoulder as he pointed to the Toads. “They seem like they could use help.”

“Peach specifically wanted us to come directly to her,” reminded Mario. “She insisted that it was important for us to hurry over help out.”

“Wonder what she’s planning…?”

Wandering into the castle itself, Mario and Luigi strolled through the halls, waving to some of the Toad servants that worked inside. Making their way directly for the throne room, the brothers spotted a green dinosaur waiting just outside the door for them.

“Hey Yoshi!” Mario beamed to his friend and waved. “Waiting for us?” Yoshi nodded to him, and Mario patted him. “Come on, then. Let’s go in.”

Pushing open the doors to Peach’s throne room, Mario was the first in, as Yoshi and Luigi followed, with Yoshi nudging Luigi a bit. However, all three came to a complete halt.

Ahead of them was Peach on her throne…but with Bowser, his son, and Kamek standing before her.

“Princess Peach, hold on!” Mario charged for her throne. “We’ll save you this time, I promise!”

“Oh, there’s no need, Mario,” called Peach, causing Mario to trip and stumble into stopping. “Bowser is actually here to help.”

“He’s what?!”

“Bwahahaha! You heard her right, plumber boy!” Bowser beamed. “I was invited to this party! …Finally.”

“To put it more accurately, Bowser has agreed to make up for ruining my previous events,” elaborated Peach. Bowser paled and sank down as she continued. “That’s including my birthday, the opening of the new town market, our previous fall festival celebration, Greenery Day, the summer fireworks, the new year celebration, Toads’ Day, and even Koopas’ Day.” She smiled to Mario as Bowser tugged on his horns while slightly sweating. “It’s the least that he can do.”

“…Did you threaten to charge him for all of that?”

“I did charge him.”

“Ah.”

“However, the Mushroom Kingdom’s foundation celebration is a very important time to celebrate, so I offered to take off a few zeros from the Coins,” revealed Peach. “Provided that Bowser was a good boy and helped us out with everything.”

Mario blinked as Luigi and Yoshi walked over, and they faced Bowser. “…How many zeros—?”

“If it weren’t that many, I wouldn’t be here willingly,” pointed out Bowser. “In fact, even now, I’m not—”

“Oh my, I think there’s another zero at the end of my latest calculation!”

“We are all very happy to be here to help Princess Peach celebrate the 350th anniversary of the Mushroom Kingdom,” abruptly insisted Bowser. “Isn’t that right, son? Kamek?” Both quickly nodded to him. “Right…perfectly happy.”

“Wonderful!” Peach clasped her hands together and held them close to her face. “I think this year’s anniversary will be delightful.” She snatched a small paper from her throne. “Ok, and now to assign everyone to where they need to go.”

“Wait, assigned?” Bowser snorted. “Why can’t we just do whatever?”

“Oh, well, I suppose we could,” offered Peach. “That, however, might just cost—”

“Actually, whatever you got works! I’ll do anything you ask!” Bowser nervously grinned.

“Sire, that’s a bit too spineless in front of the boy,” murmured Kamek.

“Shut up,” hissed Bowser.

“Pardon?”

“Nothing! Get us started!”

“Ok.” Peach glanced down at her list. “Well, to start, I’m sending two of you to the oldest section of the Mushroom Kingdom during my reign.”

“Do you mean the region that they call ‘the Ancient Kingdom?’” Mario folded his arms and tilted his head. “Is that where I first got started on my adventures to help you?”

“Yes, very good, Mario!” Peach smiled to him. “And in the old fortress there, we have an artifact that I’m counting on you to be able to find.”

“Wait, there’s…something still there?”

“Hopefully!” Peach laced her fingers together. “It’s an object called the Crystal Heart, but years ago was referred to as the ‘Heart of the Mushroom Kingdom.’ My predecessors would include it in grand celebrations such as this one, so I want you to find it in the location we designated as World 1-4.” Peach raised her hands to her lips. “However, the heart is stated to be difficult to uncover, so you’ll need to search the very end of the fortress carefully. Only a loving touch is rumored to uncover it.”

“Sure, I can hurry across those old places!” Mario grinned. “You can count on me, Princess Peach!”

“Of course I can,” agreed Peach. “However, I’m also sending Bowser with you.”

“Wait, what?”

“Why me?!”

“Bowser should know 1-4 pretty well, since you’re the one that designed the traps for that fortress,” pointed out Peach. “So, if anyone can help Mario find it, then that would be you.”

“But—”

“Princess, I could handle it alone,” insisted Mario.

“There. See?”

“To be completely honest, I only trust Bowser around Mario,” admitted Peach. “So, if he’s not going to be with you, Mario, then he won’t be with anyone.”

“What?! Come on, I’ll be good!”

“That’s the deal, unless you want a few more zeros added,” threatened Peach.

“Maybe I’ll just kidnap you now and get it over with,” fired back Bowser.

“Can we please not do that?” Luigi frowned. “Just once, can’t we all just…get along?”

“Luigi’s right,” decided Mario. “If you’re willing, Bowser, then so am I.” He held his hand up. “We can do this together!”

Bowser snorted. “Not like I really get a choice in this matter.” He glanced down at Kamek and Bowser Jr. “Just make sure that the two of them are together, please?”

“Hmm…I suppose I can allow for that much,” relented Peach. “But: if they try anything funny, or any other Koopa among your ranks does, things will get ugly. And expensive.” Peach folded her arms as Kamek and Bowser Jr. swallowed hard.

“They’ll be fine,” persisted Bowser. “Come on, Mario. Let’s get this over with.”

Mario nodded and followed Bowser from the throne room. Peach waved them off as everyone else watched.

“Do your best! We’re counting on you two finding that relic!” Peach smirked and then returned her attention to the others. “Ok, Luigi, we’ll have Rosalina, Mayor Pauline, and Princess Daisy coming by later on as well…”

…

Along the furthest reaches of the Mushroom Kingdom, a Warp Pipe emerged from the ground, as Mario jumped from it. Bowser leapt out after him, and crashed down before Mario dropped back down.

Both quietly gazed at the barren wastes around them, along the emptied land of the Ancient Kingdom. Once a place where even small amounts of life could exist, the brown land was void of life. The structures remained in place, but were worn down, with even the bricks of the earth below in a crumbling state.

“Wow, Peach really let this place go, huh?” Bowser folded his arms. “You’d think that she would keep working on it or renewing it, right? Ha.”

“…I don’t get it.”

“Huh?” Bowser raised an eyebrow. “How do you not? Haven’t you been here long enough to understand?”

“What?”

“Oh, wow, Peach doesn’t just blab about her kingdom? Ok, we’ve got some talking to do.”

Bowser started onward, as Mario scratched his head, but then followed. Both came across the entry of the region, and gazed up at the seven blocks that remained suspended and airborne, frozen in the silence space. One was broken off and closer from the others, while another floated in the center over the other five. Dulled question marks were upon the blocks, but the usual magic lighting with them had dissipated over the years.

Turning to Mario, Bowser pointed up at the blocks. “Haven’t you ever wondered why those are always reset back to position, almost as if the place remains set like that forever?”

“To be honest, I haven’t visited this area in a long time,” admitted Mario. “A lot of lookalike locations based on it, but this exact one, not too often.”

“Huh, maybe that explains it.” Bowser rubbed behind his neck. “I really thought Peach would’ve clued you in on this place better.”

“How’s that?”

“You know how the Mushroom Kingdom has a flowing energy of magic within it, right? How you can touch a magic mushroom and grow up a size or a few, touch a flower and gain powers to shoot fireballs, and then grab a star to become imbued with near invincible energy?”

“Uh…yes?” Mario shrugged. “What about the power-ups are we focusing on?”

“Not the power-ups, the land itself, Mario,” specified Bowser. “I thought Junior would be the hardest to teach this to.” He gestured at the barren lands around them. “The Mushroom Kingdom is a magical place.”

“That sounds…somewhat creepy.”

“Yeah, my bad. But, it’s true.” Bowser continued along the path, lifting himself over the rusty Warp Pipe. “The thing about this world is that it grows old and ages a lot more rapidly than we do.”

“Wait, what?” Mario jumped up and over the pipe as Bowser slid down along the other side. “What do you mean?”

“Mario, the entire Mushroom Kingdom constantly ages rapidly, because that’s how the land itself evolves and grows,” elucidated Bowser. “In the time it might take you to age a year, the Mushroom Kingdom will have grasslands that grow old and wither away.”

“How is that possible?” Mario shook his head, jumping along the next pipes as Bowser followed. “I’ve…been to the same places twice before, and they look fine, almost the same.”

“See, most areas continue to have rapid recovery due to their age and growth,” carried on Bowser. “But, they…what are you doing?”

They both paused, as Bowser lowered his eyes while Mario kicked at the vent covering the fourth pipe. He glanced back down at Bowser and pointed to it.

“Trying to take this pipe to the underground.” Mario kicked at it again. “We take this, and then we can move even faster through this place.”

“…I knew you cheated these levels,” muttered Bowser. “No wonder you were so fast so many times…”

“Didn’t that spare you from losing more soldiers?”

“You actually consider that when you do it?”

“Yes.”

“…Huh.” Bowser smirked. “Didn’t know that.” He shrugged at Mario’s questioning eyebrow. “Just assumed you stomped them all and vaulted yourself onward.”

“If I don’t have to, I try not to.”

“That’s…uh, whatever.” He climbed up and punched at the vent, but it didn’t even dent. “Guess they had it fortified for brutes trying to bust through quickly. Clever.”

“So they really made the Warp Pipes here inaccessible?”

“Yep.” Bowser dropped down the other side of the pipe. “Come on, let’s keep going.”

Mario jumped out over him, and swatted at the air. He flailed a bit and then landed back by the ground, near the edge of the broken land, kicking a few pebbles into the abyss ahead of him.

“What are you doing?!” Bowser stormed over to him. “Are you trying to fall off and die?”

“There was a hidden block there before,” insisted Mario. “I thought…I should’ve hit where it was…”

“Those don’t always work like that,” countered Bowser. “Sometimes, you can only hit them from select angles, like below.” He shook his head. “But we don’t need anything from those. It’s not like you don’t have one of those all reviving 1-Up Mushrooms on you, right?”

“…Uh…”

“Seriously?! And you were just going to plunge right below into that abyss?!” Bowser threw his arms up. “Are you _trying_ to ruin the only time Peach is willing to at least tolerate me?! If you die, I’m doomed!”

“And here I thought you’d be worried about me.”

“I am worried about you!” Bowser folded his arms. “Only I get to defeat you, and only when I’m already in trouble.”

“Be still my heart,” deadpanned Mario.

“Oh, shut up.” Bowser jumped the gap and onto the next part of the land. “I don’t even know why I bother…”

“What are you even going on about?” Mario blinked as Bowser stormed ahead. “Hey! Wait up!”

Stopping below three blocks, Bowser gazed back as Mario hurried to catch up to him. He slowed and blinked, before grinning up to Bowser, who quickly looked away.

“Aw, you actually listened.”

“No, no I didn’t!” Bowser twisted away from Mario. “I, uh, I just…hesitated from that bigger gap!”

“Like you can’t clear it?”

“Look, I just need a running start, ok?!” Bowser’s tail smacked the ground and cracked at the breaking bricks. “You need those too, don’t you?!”

“Ha, yeah.” Mario patted Bowser’s arm. “Sorry about that.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever…” Bowser stared quietly ahead. “…You ready?”

“Don’t be nervous.”

“I’m not!”

“You seem it.”

“And you seem annoying!”

“Come on, we’ll go together.” Mario tugged Bowser a little forward. “Here.”

“Wait, easy!”

“Can’t you keep up?” Mario smirked as he poked at Bowser.

“Of course I can!” Bowser fumed. “Quit that!”

“Make me.”

“Oooohh…!”

Chasing after Mario, Bowser smacked at the ground as Mario leapt out ahead. Jumping after him, Bowser swept at him through the air, but was too far behind to grab at him.

Both landed back down across the gap and Bowser blinked, glancing back to the chasm behind him.

“Wow, look at who made it after all,” teased Mario, grinning at Bowser, who blushed.

“Shut up! I didn’t need that,” snapped Bowser. “I could’ve made it…”

“And you did make it!”

“Ugh, you’re…” Bowser shook his head. Under his breath, he added, “Whatever, thanks.”

“You’re welcome!”

“Bah!”

The pair carried on through the wasteland, wandering beneath the blocks suspended above them. Mario glanced back at the blocks behind them, waving his finger at a pair that closely connected together.

“What are you doing?”

“One of those has a Star in it, if I remember correctly…?”

“It might not have anything anymore,” contested Bowser. “Besides, I don’t have any troops here! What would you need it for? That’s not going to save you from falling.”

“Huh.” Mario dropped his arm. “Good point.”

“Don’t go knocking on all of these blocks either,” growled Bowser, jabbing at the scattered ones floating above them. “We’re not here for Coins, and you don’t need any powers to get across these lands.”

“Sometimes I do.”

“Not with me, you don’t.” Bowser started onward. “We’re wasting time.”

“Do we have a time limit?” Mario scratched his head. “Sometimes the areas kind of have this magical backlash that forces me to move quickly, or else when the time limit expires, I could—”

“What? No!” Bowser twisted back and pointed ahead. “Look, can we just get through this?! I want to go back to my kid.”

“Oh, that’s a good point too,” admitted Mario. “Ok, let’s keep going.”

Coming across stacked blocks resembling staircases, Mario and Bowser climbed along them. Hopping from the first to the second, they descended down and carried on up the next set, climbing back to the top of the third. Mario glanced down at the remaining abyss gap, and hurried across the bricks. The last one, however, gave way, and he slipped.

“Mario!”

Diving out, Bowser grabbed at Mario and dragged him back onto the blocks, as they watched brick pebbles drop into the chasm below.

“…Hey, nice save!”

“You literally want to die.”

“Thank you so much!” Mario patted Bowser’s cheek. “You’re hero material after all!”

“I loathe you so much, you know that?” Bowser glared ahead. “In fact, here.”

Pulling his arms back, Bowser tossed Mario ahead of him, as the plumber flew across the pit and over the fourth brick stack. Bowser stomped across and jumped as the stones behind him crumbled as well. Pulling into his shell, he tumbled down the fourth set, breaking parts of them as he slid down and bounced off of the pipe. Pushing back out from his shell, he glanced up at Mario, who waited on the closed Warp Pipe for him.

“This is where we would’ve gotten if we took the fast way,” mocked Mario.

“We tried!”

“Maybe you could’ve tried harder.”

“Hush up!” Bowser sighed and dragged himself across the low pipe, and slid down along the opposite side. “Actually…give me a minute?”

“We could both use it,” agreed Mario, as he sat beside Bowser. “We’re almost out of here anyway. Just that big stair stack to climb over, slide down the flagpole, and we’ve reached the checkpoint.”

“That flagpole would snap the second that I touched it,” insisted Bowser. “…In fact, you’d probably break it at this point, considering its age.”

“Oh, there we go,” decided Mario. “Can you continue what you were explaining before?”

“Hm?”

“About the land aging rapidly.”

“Ah, right.” Bowser stretched and exhaled. “Ok, well, the Mushroom Kingdom’s land ages at an accelerated rate, a lot faster than any of us grow. We get older by a year, and the terrain has probably aged several times over.”

“But how can places remain the same?”

“See, most of the Mushroom Kingdom is covered by its growth,” enlightened Bowser. “If you go to the grasslands near Peach’s castle, they tend to just grow back over what was lost, and it’s like nothing ever happened, and for those that don’t know any better, the land looks the same as it was, living at the normal rate.” He gestured to the battered land around them. “But, where the magic can’t reach, or when it’s expunged most of its energy? This happens. The place dies down easier and nothing grows back.”

“So…the Mushroom Kingdom, or this area, the Ancient Kingdom…is it dying?”

“In a sense, yeah.” Bowser shrugged. “There’s still enough magic to keep this place going for some time, and you can tell by the blocks floating and flickering still. But it’s gotten a lot older, and without Peach investing magical energy into the place, it crumbles.”

“Why wouldn’t she?”

“Well, part of that was me,” confessed Bowser. “Some magic that my Koopas used help break down this area even faster. The amount of resources that it would take to revive it, I’m guessing, isn’t worth Peach’s effort.” He shrugged. “So, the land is just breaking down.”

“Doesn’t that bother you?”

“Not really.” Bowser picked himself back up. “This Ancient Kingdom technically existed before Peach’s reign, under her father’s rule, but it’s always highlighted as the beginning of our conflicts, at least as adults.” He folded his arms and slightly smirked down to Mario. “Someone helped make this place famous, borderline legendary.”

“Ha, I don’t know about that.”

“Sure you do, and you love it.”

“Not as much as you’d think,” murmured Mario. “…Wait, how come it doesn’t bother you?”

“Oh. Well, the full Ancient Kingdom isn’t really worth much these days,” admitted Bowser. “Back when the kingdom was a bit smaller in establishment and less explored, this place held tactical use, but nowadays, it’s…well, after I invaded it, and you liberated it, those places lost their value, so, there’s no great demand for them.” He shrugged. “Just tourist traps I guess.”

“Apparently not entirely,” pointed out Mario, as he stood up.

“Nope, apparently not.” Bowser nodded. “Clever for them to hide stuff here, especially when I wasn’t looking for it, and then keeping it here when I thought these places lost all value.” He chuckled. “I wonder what other riches might be buried within the Ancient Kingdom…”

“Now you sound like Wario,” teased Mario. “Let’s keep going before you start punching the blocks for Coins instead of me.”

“Ha, yeah.” Bowser smirked. “Probably would make more sense for me, given the legends.”

“…What legends?”

“Oh, I would’ve thought you heard about them.” Bowser pointed to the bricks above, particularly fixating on the question mark block. “Apparently I cursed Toads and trapped them in those blocks when I invaded.”

“…Wait. Wait, those…did you?”

“Originally, yeah, but—”

“You _what_?!” Mario grabbed at his head. “I’ve been punching and breaking those blocks open, and all of this time, the Mushroom people, the Toads, they’ve been in there?!”

“No, Mario—”

“Have I been killing innocents all of this time?!”

“What?! That’s not even how it works!” Bowser groaned. “Mario, back then, I originally trapped the Mushroom people in those blocks, and not the bricks. They were stuck, but you whacking them didn’t free them. It just let out the magical essence of the powers within, allowing the Toads to help send you powers of the land to help you on your journey.”

“Oh, so…they…they gave me the power-ups?”

“Yes!”

“But then…what about the blocks today?”

“Peach thought it was clever, so now blocks can contain either Coins or power-ups,” pointed out Bowser. “It was one of the earlier spells she did when you first rescued her.”

“That…actually doesn’t seem as great, now that you’ve elaborated on it,” confessed Mario.

“Yeah, and people call me the bad guy.”

Together, the pair continued on their small adventure, climbing the larger staircase of bricks. They moved carefully, navigating past the crumbling blocks and up to the very top of the stairs. Staring ahead at the flagpole, Mario quietly studied it while Bowser glanced behind them at the blocks.

“Didn’t think they’d be sturdy enough after all this time,” he observed. Turning back to Mario, he lowered his eyes and grabbed at his overalls. “Don’t even think about it.”

“But it’s the Goal Pole.”

“No.”

“Come on, just let me test it?”

“As much as I want to see it snap and you fall on your face, no, we’re not doing that.”

“Do you care about my pretty face?”

“I changed my mind: go jump.”

“One day, you’ll care on your own terms,” teased Mario, as he jumped down from the blocks.

“Will you quit making such stupid comments?!”

Dropping down after Mario, Bowser slammed onto the ground. With his hefty force, the flagpole creaked and wobbled over, smacking down to the earth as well. Mario blinked as Bowser placed his hands on his hips.

“Told you!”

“Well, it might’ve survived me.”

“Oh, be quiet and just let me be right for once!”

“Ok.”

Mario walked over to the fallen flag and picked it up. It had torn apart along the ends and was so coated in dust and dirt that its original colors were too difficult to see through it.

“Was that yours or mine?” Bowser tilted his head. “I just figured yours since you’d take them over after clearing a sector, but I don’t remember if I put any back on after to mock you or whatnot.”

“Can you tell?” Mario held up the flag as Bowser shook his head. “Me neither.” He tossed it back by the fallen pole. “Let’s keep going. We’ve got three more areas to explore.”

“Actually, just one.”

“Huh?”

“Hold on…”

Walking over to the broken down checkpoint tower, Bowser pushed inside of the miniature castle and wandered in. Mario moved to follow, but a bright flash forced him to shield his eyes.

“Bowser! Are you ok?” Mario lowered his arm as the light faded. “…Bowser?”

“Get in here.”

Blinking, Mario hesitated for a moment, but heard a hint of Bowser’s growl, and wandered inside. He glanced around the ruined structure and moved around, looking for the entry point to the next level known as 1-2. Bowser, however, pointed at a purple portal in the ground, as he tossed a broken rod aside.

“There’s limited wands that open direct links to the final fortresses of each location,” he revealed. “So, now we can just do what you do best: cheat the land, and hurry to the end.”

“That only happens sometimes, and usually doesn’t work that well for me,” argued Mario. “Besides, don’t you just love to see me for our battles?”

“No. Now, get in.”

Rolling his eyes, Mario jumped into the vortex as Bowser followed. They both dropped into the stone fortress of the Ancient Kingdom’s World 1-4, as the portal dissipated above them.


	2. World 1-4: The Heart Within

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having made it through the Ancient Kingdom's first level of 1-1, Mario and Bowser have now taken a direct path to their destination, 1-4. Can they make it through the fortress alive? And will they develop their relationship in a positive manner?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to pick up where we left off, and finish this tribute to the Super Mario Bros. game. This time, we're going through World 1-4, as Mario and Bowser...get closer...! Enjoy!

Within the old fortress, the once uniform stones had shifted out of place, with a few missing from their even formations around the room. Some parts had blackened from the fires that charred them over the years. Others were chipped away, with their fragments slightly scattered along the ground.

Taking in even just a slight fragrance of the hellish atmosphere, Mario pinched his nose.

"The smells in here are awful," he complained. "Is that all of the fire and brimstone you flooded this place with?"

"Either that or dead bodies," grimly joked Bowser. Mario punched at his arm. "Hey, come on! It was just a joke."

"It's not funny!"

"Oh, lighten up." He smirked. "Or maybe the dying fires will do it for you."

They stepped onward into the fortress, descending the steps and clearing the first gap over the recessing lava. Hurrying ahead, Mario peeked over the side while Bowser ambled over and stared at him.

"What are you looking at?"

"Why is the lava so far down?" He blinked and glanced back at Bowser, who turned his head away. "Actually, was the lava always here? I thought you added it in."

"Uh, yeah, I did." Bowser cleared his throat and returned his attention to Mario. "But this place is just as run down as the rest of the Ancient Kingdom, so, it's not really going to be surging with the fires of the old days."

"Not even the fire bars are lit," pointed out Mario, as Bowser gazed ahead at the emptier fortress. "So, the biggest obstacle is just getting through this place."

"Huh. Guess so." Bowser folded his arms. "Well, if we fall, we're still going to burn to death, so, there's that."

"Why do you always point out the falls?" Mario picked himself back up. "Literally the whole point of the kingdom's navigation is that we need to be good at jumping."

"You need to be."

"What do you do?"

"Mostly use my Clown Car," muttered Bowser.

"Oh yeah, you have that. …Hm."

"Don't start." Bowser grumbled and twisted away, as his shoulders rose. "Not everyone from here is some kind of ridiculous acrobat superstar."

"That's not what I was going to bring up," defended Mario. "You're clearly athletic, given all of the sports that we participate in. A lot of us are. Even Wario is, in spite of himself." He placed a hand on his hip. "Besides, we've come this far, and it's clear that you _can_ jump well enough."

"Well…that's true." As Bowser's shoulders slowly dropped, he turned back to Mario. "…So, uh…you're actually, um…"

"I'm what?"

"Nothing, nothing." Bowser snorted and repositioned himself for a run. "So, let's just clear this next part without either of us dying."

"After you."

"What a gentleman," deadpanned Bowser.

Rushing ahead, Bowser scrambled into the jump, flailing before whacking into one of the floating blocks in the fortress. He groaned as he dropped to the platform below, and shook his head.

Glaring ahead, Bowser charged forth again, throwing himself higher to reach up for the next platform. Grabbing at the ground, Bowser knocked a few stones into the lava as he heaved forward and threw himself up onto the plateau. As he picked himself up, Bowser whacked his head once again, and sank back down.

Snarling at the block on the ceiling, Bowser punched at it, eliciting a thud that echoed around the empty fortress. He backed up past it and squatted down to gaze across at Mario.

"Hurry it up, plumber boy."

Smirking, Mario dashed ahead and jumped to the first platform. Keeping momentum, he hurried beneath the block and vaulted to the next platform. Clearing the space between the wedge and the floor, Mario touched down and slowed as he neared Bowser. The Koopa King seethed as Mario gently smiled up to him, offering only a shrug.

"Didn't you tell me to hurry?"

"Nobody likes a showoff," complained Bowser.

"But I thought you loved showing off all the time."

"Shut up!"

They walked through the darkened corridor and closer to where the fire bars had once lit the way. No torches were there to light the rest of the fortress, leaving it even darker as they pressed ahead.

"Kind of forgot how much light the fire bars gave," observed Mario as he passed under the next extinguished block. "Why don't you light our way forward?"

"Right, because I'm just a walking candle," ridiculed Bowser. "Breathing out fire the whole way will only make my throat hurt and the embers weak." He squinted as he studied the darkness. "Besides, it's not like anything is left here to worry about."

"Pretty sure that's not true," debated Mario.

"Whatever, we can handle it," insisted Bowser.

As they ventured further along, Mario stuck his hands out before him, hoping to feel around before walking into something. Bowser continued on normally, grumbling as the light faded around them. Inhaling in, Bowser spat a long fireball across the room, giving them a quick glow to see some of the way forward. With that, they spotted where the floor disappeared in the distance. Mario glanced up to Bowser, who refused to look in his direction.

"Just don't mention it."

"Not even for thanks?"

"Especially not for that." Bowser stormed onward. "Keep up."

Though Mario followed Bowser along, he kept his arms out as a precaution, and stepped carefully as he moved ahead through the darkness. Bowser's heavy footfall made it easier to stay near him.

"So how does Peach get you to just sucker in for her?" Mario turned to the direction of Bowser's voice. "Doing such a menial task like this should be for a Toad servant, not her big hero."

"This feels like it would be too dangerous for a Toad," contended Mario. "It's safest to send me out."

"Sure, right, or maybe she just wanted somewhere to send you off," mocked Bowser. "Keep you busy babysitting me while she does actual work."

"To be fair, that's not an easy task either." Mario smirked as Bowser snorted.

"Even still, she did _invite_ me," teased Bowser. "Isn't that something?"

"If you need it to be."

"Peach never invites me to anything," complained Bowser.

"Can't imagine why," murmured Mario as he rolled his eyes.

"Maybe this time is different because she wants me around for a big event," theorized Bowser. "Wouldn't that be a nice surprise?"

"Are you really that obsessed with her approval?"

"Of course! You are too, after all," pointed out Bowser. He toothily grinned, even if Mario couldn't see it. "And she sent me after this heart jewel, so clearly, she wants me to find it." He dreamily sighed. "Maybe it's her not-so-subtle way of confessing how she really feels about me."

"I can't tell if you're trying to make me uncomfortable for fun, or if you're genuinely that delusional," spat Mario.

"Have you really got a problem with a princess that has good taste in Koopas?"

"You're completely fine, that's not the issue," protested Mario. "The problem is that you kidnap Peach and torture her kingdom."

"Wait…you think I look fine?"

"Way to completely miss my argument."

"That's not answering my question."

"Look, if you ever want Peach to remotely like you, then you need to be nicer," persisted Mario. "Would it really kill you—?"

"Hang on."

Bowser spat another fireball, and glanced down as the step lower into the fortress. He dropped down as Mario hopped beside him. As he continued inward, Mario felt the burnt block before him and climbed over it.

"Watch, there's a block here."

"Duh, I saw it before."

"Okie dokie, I'll keep warnings to myself."

"Better than you nagging at me."

"About not being a bad guy?" Mario dragged his hand over his head, pushing his cap up and messing with his hair. "I can only help you so much."

"Maybe I don't want it!"

"But you want Peach to like you," contested Mario. "So, you won't change, but you expect new results."

"Shouldn't you be annoyed that I'm trying to get her into me?" Bowser folded his arms. "We both like her, so I don't get why you'd help me out."

"Because I'm not trying to get you to date her," argued Mario. "I want you to at least not be so evil and…I don't know, be normal? Friendly? Nice."

"Well, I can be those things and still try to take over the Mushroom Kingdom," insisted Bowser.

"Mama mia, give me strength…"

"Again, what do you care?" Bowser swayed his tail around. "Shouldn't you just—omph!"

A heavy thud echoed as Bowser tripped over the next block, and crashed to the floor. Mario stopped, reaching out before him.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, that was nothing," grumbled Bowser. "You could have actually warned me!"

"Didn't you just…?" Mario sighed and felt for the chunk ahead. "I don't know why I…uh."

"Please tell me that you're not feeling up my tail."

"Um…"

"This day could not get any worse," bemoaned Bowser. He sighed and dropped his head on the ground. "Do I at least feel good?"

"Why do you want to know that?!"

"For fun, and since you're the one there right now."

"Uh…well, your tail's soft and your scales are kind of smooth—"

"Wow, you seriously answered that."

"You asked!"

"I was joking."

"Ugh…"

"Hey, can you at least help me up? …Mario, I can hear you walking past me. …Will you get back here and get me up already?!"

"If you turn that into a stupid joke," threatened Mario, "I'm throwing you into the next pit of lava."

"Ha, gutter brain."

"Ok, I'm definitely doing that."

"Wait, wait, please!" Bowser pushed himself up, but slipped and flopped down. "Come on, I'm struggling here. Be a pal! Or at least a good guy!"

Throwing his head back, Mario groaned and trudged back to Bowser. Feeling around in the dark, his hands patted against Bowser's face, and Mario jerked back.

"That kind of tickled," muttered Bowser.

"Be quiet and let me…"

Feeling for Bowser's body, Mario picked him up and helped Bowser lifting from the ground. As he rose up, Bowser knocked Mario over and down in his place. Sighing, Bowser leaned over and offered his hand.

"Here, take it." Bowser waited a moment and reached out further. "Will you just…uh?"

"My hands are over here."

"So…this is—"

"Either let go or help me up!"

"Ok."

Scooping up Mario into his arms, Bowser carried him further along. Mario blushed and blinked, before shaking his head and glaring up at Bowser.

"What are you doing?!"

"This seemed easier," determined Bowser. "Hey, I think I can actually see the next block this time."

"Then watch your step."

"Yep, I got it." Bowser climbed over and past the last wedge, grinning as he did. "Ha, that's a lot better!"

"Couldn't you just spit another fireball to see if there are any more?" Mario sighed. "You always have an endless amount to spit at me."

"Quit whining!"

As stormed ahead more, Bowser loosened his grip on Mario. But just as he readied to drop him, he paused and kept him in his arms. Growling, Bowser stomped ahead for a bit before he spat another fireball, just before the ledge dropped them.

"There. We're fine." Bowser hopped ahead, and slammed down below. "…Ow…"

"Didn't you see how far the drop was?"

"Oh sure, and I crashed here for fun."

"Seems like you would."

"Shut up."

Glancing up as Bowser stomped forward, Mario narrowed his eyes as the light catching a hidden block overhead. Though he opened his mouth to point it out, nothing came out, and he leaned back into Bowser. Jolting up, Bowser glared down at him.

"Don't get comfortable there!"

"Ok, so let me go."

"Fine!" Bowser opened his arms, but Mario dropped gracefully. "Not even a thanks."

"Thank you for carrying me so gently."

"What?! It wasn't—bah!"

"Actually, why did you bother doing that? Besides making it easier."

"I don't know." Bowser shrugged and turned away. "You know, you always…do something for me."

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

"Now I'm curious though."

"Well, it's…I don't know." Bowser folded his arms. "You're the one that invites me out most of the time, which is weird, but ok." Quieter, he carried on. "Well…not weird, but…stupidly naïve. Yet, it's…nice." Bowser blushed and cleared his throat. "And even as my nemesis, you never disappoint me, because you always show up to battle. You're…reliable or dependable or whatever, I guess."

"Where's this coming from?"

"Not a clue, but don't ever tell me that I've never been nice to you," snapped Bowser.

"That is one way to put it," admitted Mario. "And, I guess you've done the same for me as a rival, so…that's good too?"

"But I'm not as nice to you," specified Bowser. "Sure, I've helped you out sometimes, but I don't really…well, I mean, not that I'm supposed to…but…"

"You're giving really mixed signals."

"Just shut up and be grateful, ok?!"

"Are you trying to admit that you would like being friends?"

"No!" Bowser's face burned as he deflated. "…Ok, maybe…something like that…"

"Aww!"

"Will you be quiet?!" Bowser growled. "Trying to be sincere and nice, and you ruin it by being so—"

"But that was my sincere reaction," offered Mario. "That's really sweet of you."

"Really?" Bowser blinked and spun away from Mario. "Hey, uh, look! We should climb up over here, right? Let's keep moving!"

Clawing at the ledge ahead and scrambling atop it, Bowser hurried away as Mario lowered his eyes. Shaking his head, he jumped up to Bowser and studied the broken platform awaiting them. There was a faint glow from the lava that remained ahead.

"Guess we're almost there after all," noted Bowser.

"Yeah, but, ah, about that…" Mario tapped his fingers together.

"…What…?"

"Ah…you'll see when we cross the next one over."

They jumped across, kicking away at the stones that tumbled from the plateau. Bowser stepped to the ledge's edge and glared at the broken bridge, or rather, the ropes that remained from where the wooden bridge once rested over the lava. Twisting back to Mario, he glowered to the hero, who glanced behind them.

"Let me guess: you forgot about dropping the bridge and my disguised minion until now," dryly spat Bowser.

"You know, it's been a fun adventure all the same." Mario nervously grinned and shrugged. "At least we made a good effort!" He blinked and relaxed as he gazed past Bowser. "On second thought, maybe we've got one last chance!"

"Huh?"

Turning back around, Bowser followed Mario's gaze to a floating platform that slowly neared them. It waited a moment before drifting away from the pair, traveling across the lava pit. Widening his eyes, Bowser twisted back to Mario.

"No, no way, not happening."

"Come on, that lift can help us across!"

"And what if we—?!"

"You have a tight grip, and I think I can jump on top," determined Mario. "Grab the bottom when it comes back over, and I'll jump onto the top."

"Can it even support my weight?"

"This isn't like the Goal Pole," persisted Mario. "Trust me, we'll make it."

"Mm…" Bowser winced at the lift, but shook his head and nodded. "Ok."

Once it reached the opposite end, the levitating lift slowly made its way back toward Mario and Bowser. They fixated their attention on it as it neared them.

"Go first, grab on quick, and I'll follow above," instructed Mario.

"Shouldn't you go first?"

"If we do that, I'll be in your way when you're grabbing on," clarified Mario. "I can jump over you easier than you can latch on below me." Bowser snorted as Mario lowered his eyes and glanced at him. "That's just because I jump a lot."

"Fine." Bowser eyed the nearing lift. "Wait, do I—?"

"Now, yes, go!"

Rushing to the edge of the ledge, Bowser launched upwards and across the lava pit, flailing his arms out to grab onto the lift. Mario vaulted across after him as his hands reached for the lift.

Losing a bit of air, Bowser scrambled to latch onto the lift's holes, and locked his claws through it. He looked overhead as Mario sailed over him.

Oddly enough, Mario touched down, but skidded as he did, sliding too close to the opposite end of the lift. Spiraling his arms around for balance, he wobbled about, and stumbled as he lost his footing.

"Mario!"

Throwing his legs up, Bowser smacked Mario with his tail, knocking him just between the fortress pillar and ledge ahead. Swinging himself around, Bowser threw himself after Mario, smashing through the pillar and passing the platform.

Slamming down against the floor, Bowser groaned and writhed a bit on the floor, rolling a bit on his stomach and gripping his arms. Shaking his head, he glanced up and spotted Mario also on the ground, though he remained entirely still.

"No…no, no, no, no…"

Forcing himself up a bit, Bowser crawled over to Mario, and hung over him. His eyes wavered as he gazed over the fallen hero, and he slowly reached out. Watching his trembling hand, Bowser flinched, and slumped down.

"Of all the times…I…I didn't want…not like this…"

Tears lined Bowser's eyes as he pulled Mario's body closer to him. He lifted Mario and cradled him in his arms.

"How am I supposed to…?" Bowser shuddered. "Mario, I need you. Please."

Pulling Mario tightly into him, Bowser embraced him and shivered. He blinked as a cough rang out, and then quickly pulled back. Mario blinked and smirked up to him, as Bowser dropped him back to the ground.

"Ouch."

"What the hell?!"

"And you were being so delicate before…"

"You…you idiot!" Bowser punched the floor. "I thought you died! Why weren't you moving?!"

"That fall hurt more than I expected," admitted Mario. "But, that was a nice save on your part!" He smiled to Bowser. "So, thank you very much."

"But…but…" A tear slipped from Bowser's eye. "I thought I actually lost you!"

"Wouldn't that make your life terrible?" Mario chuckled.

"It would!" Bowser dragged himself back over to Mario. "I wouldn't be where I am without you!"

"Wait, what?"

"Uh…forget it!" Bowser twisted away. "Just…it's good that you're ok!"

"No, that sounded like it was going to mean something special." Mario poked at Bowser. "What were you going to—?"

"Just forget it, all right?!"

"…Well…ok." Mario shrugged. "But, I guess I wouldn't be anywhere with you either." He smiled again. "Beating you made me famous, I guess. Plus, you make things more interesting. But, when we've worked together, I could always rely on your strength too." Mario laughed quietly. "You even just saved me now, so…I clearly need you."

Gawking at Mario for a moment, Bowser threw his arms over Mario and pulled him tightly for a hug. Mario yelped as Bowser squished him in closer.

"You are literally the nicest nemesis anyone could ever ask for, and you're so sugary sweet that it's ridiculous," cried out Bowser. "I don't ever want to be without you, because you do all the same stuff for me! My troops like me more because of battling with you, and…and sometimes Toads can tolerate me because you're around and they're not as afraid!" Bowser sobbed. "And you're always so nice, even when I'm a complete monster to you, and I don't get it! But you…you make me feel great!"

"Um, Bowser—?"

"No, shut up," whined Bowser. "I like feeling needed, and I'm so desperate for that, ok? This whole adventure was…it was really fun!" He pulled back and gazed down at Mario. "And we…we really worked well together! Didn't we?"

"Yeah."

"Then…!" Bowser hesitated and sank down. "Then…" He slowly let Mario go and dropped his arms around either side of him. "…Then what do we do now?"

"Maybe we can go over all of that more some time?" Mario shrugged. "I mean, we're probably on a bit of a high from not dying, but if you want, we could—"

Mario blinked as Bowser's face came over his, and their lips met. Bowser's face covered Mario's at first, but he pulled back a bit, softening their kiss. Yanking himself back entirely, Bowser fumbled around and pushed back, as Mario blushed and held his cheeks.

"Uh…um." Bowser scraped the ground as he pulled his claws closer to himself. "That, uh, that didn't happen." He glanced away as his face burned a bright red. "It was, um, a heat of the moment thing? Just…just pretend it never happened!"

As he tilted his head back down, however, Mario came over and kissed him. He pulled back and grinned as Bowser's mouth dropped open, stunned as he stared to his partner.

"Wuh…what?!"

"Had to return the favor," insisted Mario, as he cupped Bowser's face. The Koopa King beamed and shakily returned the gesture.

"Buh…but…we, I mean, we're not, we, uh…" Bowser blinked and gazed past Mario. "Um. What's that pink glowing thing over there?"

Twisting around to where Bowser pointed, Mario stared at the pink glow on the ground, not far from where they landed. Both pulled themselves over to the floor's glow, and tugged at the first stones in the way, pulling them from the formation. Plucking out more of the fortress stones, Mario and Bowser stared at a small burgundy chest, with a bubble of pink light around it. Their hands met, and the two opened it together, finding the Crystal Heart glimmering inside of it.

Pulling it out, Bowser and Mario held the heart in their hands, returned their attention to one another, and smiled.

...

* * *

...

Back in the throne room at Peach's Castle, the princess placed the jewel within a glass case, and clicked it closed. It sparkled under the light and she smiled as she cupped her hands together.

"This is so wonderful!" She spun around and held her hands to her cheek. "Oh, this will be perfect for everyone to admire!"

Peach turned to Mario and Bowser, who waited just below her throne's plateau. She bowed a bit to the two, and giggled as she lifted her head back up.

"Thank you both so much!" Pulling a paper out, Peach studied the document over. "There's such a cute little legend that goes with this, about how the energy flows from this heart and produces such tender feelings of love within all who are near it!" She laughed. "Can you imagine? It's like this little heart could help everyone know the wondrous feelings of love and compassion!"

"Yeah, ha, great." Mario rubbed behind his neck.

"Can we go now?" Bowser folded his arms and glanced away.

"Of course! We have more preparations to make though, so I expect you both to be ready for more!"

Twirling around, Peach hopped down and hurried over to Toad, who laughed and clapped his hands together. She listened as he listed off the rest of her requirements for the upcoming party.

Luigi blinked as Mario and Bowser started off, kicking at a Goomba that tried to chew on his leg. He folded his arm as he followed the two out, with the Goomba being chased off by a Koopa.

"So…how did you two find that thing anyway?"

"Bowser saved me from falling and we found it glowing in the ground of the last room," elucidated Mario.

"Yeah, but that was after you were thanking me for it, so that probably helped," determined Bowser.

"Aw, you both got along," teased Luigi. He chuckled and smiled to them. "That's nice."

"Whatever." Bowser snorted as he glared down to a burgundy book in his hand. "Apparently that thing gets powered up when there's a lot of physical energy being expunged or something within the vicinity." He rolled his eyes. "So, Mario and I nearly dying as we powered through the fortress for that thing must have kicked it into overdrive."

"By being nice to each other after we reached the end, that helped us find it quickly," added Mario. He adjusted his cap and smiled to Luigi. "Maybe there's something special about enemies who can learn to get along with one another."

"…For the heart."

"Right, yeah, the heart."

"Huh." Luigi blinked and glanced back at the cased relic on Peach's throne. "Wasn't there a 'loving touch' that Peach mentioned would help find it?"

"Mario and I held hands, and that led us to the magical awakening." He lifted an eyebrow as Luigi covered his mouth. "Oh, come on. It was a stupid rumor!" Bowser growled and dragged a claw through his hair. "We found the heart at the end, nothing special happened at all."

"Oh…" Luigi picked at his mustache and turned to Mario, who had become taken with staring out the windows. "So, nothing besides a big light show, then?"

"Plus our big adventure to get there," reminded Mario. He turned back to Luigi and grinned. "But I guess you and I go on those all of the time, right?"

"True, but I'd still count that too," decided Luigi. He smiled to Mario. "Well, I'm glad you guys made it back from the Ancient Kingdom!" Luigi studied the floor as he rubbed his chin. "I think an adventure might be a nice getaway from all of this celebration planning."

"As if!" Bowser groaned as he stretched. "Just want to relax for five minutes!" He glared down at Luigi. "Can you go get my kid or Kamek or something?"

"Right, yeah, I'll go grab them." Luigi waved to the pair as he took off. "Be back in a bit!"

Mario and Bowser waited as they watched Luigi disappear from the throne room. They both gazed back as Peach exited with Toad from the rear. Heaving out huge breaths, they both deflated as they sank down.

"Are we ever going to tell anyone about that?" Mario raised an eyebrow to Bowser.

"What?! Are you nuts?! Why would we ever?!" Bowser blushed and twisted away. "No one else needs to know about the ending besides us!"

"Yeah, about that too," brought up Mario. "Um…are we—?"

"It was just the power from the stupid heart jewel thing, nothing else!" Bowser pivoted back to Mario, who had a blush over his face too. "It's not like we would ever actually do anything like that on our own!"

"Sure, yeah."

"Not like you'd want to go on a date this weekend or anything either!"

"Nope, that never crossed my mind." Mario smirked up to Bowser, who beamed down to him.

"Good, because I'm totally not planning on picking you up for a cruise in the Clown Car or anything!"

"In the evening?"

"Definitely! …Not! Definitely not!"

"Ok then." Mario chuckled. "Sounds like a not-plan, then."

"Duh. It's just the stupid heart, that's all." Bowser folded his arms, but kept his attention on Mario. "…So, uh…"

"I had fun too." Mario laughed at Bowser's bright, toothy grin.

Their hands dangled a bit closer together, lightly bumping each other as Bowser joined in on Mario's laughter. They both wandered a bit closer to the throne room doors, as Luigi returned with Yoshi, Bowser Jr., and Kamek, as all four blankly stared at the laughing duo. Quickly clearing their throats, Bowser and Mario ambled over to the others, recounting their journey through the Ancient Kingdom for them.

All the while, nobody seemed to question why Mario and Bowser remained so close together for the rest of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw, wasn't that just so sweet?
> 
> Writing World 1-4 was fun, since I was trying to capture that broken down theme from the 1-1 level, and applied it to the fortress. There were less traps to play around with than I remembered, but the setting itself basically made for some unique situations, especially given that it was a run-down variant. Crumbling stones and floors over lava pits seemed threatening enough. I was considering making the Fire Bar obstacles remain in tact, but I thought it would be good to space out the action and let the boys talk.
> 
> And talk they did, along with a lot more! I did promise more fluff, after all. A little bit of dramatic tension to add to the excitement, just enough to propel the pair to admitting some guarded feelings for one another. Bowser seems like the type who would come close to admitting what's on his mind, but wouldn't go forward entirely, whereas Mario would be willing to fill in the gaps. Originally, I wasn't planning on having them kiss, just kind of tenderly touch one another and then that would do it, but I'm a sucker for lots of loving, so, kisses were had.
> 
> As for whether they would have those feelings buried for one another, or if they really needed the push from that Crystal Heart...well, I'll leave it to you. Either way, they definitely have some genuine feelings and attraction between them!
> 
> Pretty much all there is for this one, just a cute little Bowsario tribute for the anniversary this year. After all, this pairing can always use more fluff and stuff. (And I'm always delighted to deliver on that, ahaha!)
> 
> Thank you for reading! Hopefully it was enjoyable enough. Take care!

**Author's Note:**

> That's it for this first portion, but hopefully you were amused by Mario and Bowser's journey so far!
> 
> If you're thinking, "Wow, Echo, that feels really a lot like the Mushroomy Kingdom stage from Smash," then congratulations on being right! That's basically what I went with to inspire the setting. Except it's even more deteriorated because now it's even older. The title of the area itself, "Ancient Kingdom," is also what it's called in the Japanese version of Smash, if I'm not mistaken. (Ancient-ish Kingdom for Mushroomy specifically, Ancient for most of the others from the older games.)
> 
> The lore is a bit odd to follow for the Super Mario Bros. games, most especially the older stuff like the Toads being turned into blocks. So, I decided to expand on that a bit, and Bowser was the best choice to explain it after all.
> 
> There's more fluff to be had in the next chapter, but since I'm being interrupted in the middle of writing it, I'll be posting that later. So, stay tuned for the conclusion!


End file.
